Buying things on “Credit”: Niger is primarily a cash society. Some people have bank accounts but debit and credit cards just aren’t used. I have had countless experiences where I go into a store and underestimate the amount I have spent. The answer is always the same, write down your name and phone number and come back in a day or two to pay. This once happened to me in one of the larger grocery stores and I owed close to $40 USD. It was two days before I could make it back to pay my debt. Can you imagine going in to a Safeway and them telling you it’s no problem, just take your food and pay me when you can?! This is one of those examples of how the so called “first world” could learn a thing or two about humanity from the “third world.”
The Laid Back Slow Pace of Life: This one is not always my favorite but in the end it’s a valuable lesson. Try to wrap your mind around the concept of being late as not being rude. As someone who has been perpetually 5 minutes late to everything my entire life with the exception of work, I have no problem with waiting a few minutes for someone. In Niger people often don’t show up for up to an hour without a text or phone call. Literally like you are sitting at a restaurant waiting for them. I am fairly certain this is true in other African countries, like Morocco. American etiquette considers this rude but the reality is the concept of time is subjective. There’s “Thai Time” and “Korean Time” but there’s nothing quite like “Niger Time.” Even with all my experience I sometimes get frustrated with this one because let’s face it, there are certain cultural norms that are engrained in us and we have to fight to be aware and overcome them. Neither is right or wrong, it just is. As I mature in my life I have come to a point where I prefer to be the one that waits for someone rather than the opposite. I am usually able to respectfully communicate to those I have relationships with if their concept of time is upsetting me, or if a mere text or phone call would remedy any frustration. In the end the lesson here is that learning patience and being more laid back is valuable in life and there are many of us who could stand to slow down and enjoy life a little more. Nigeriens certainly have this one down, and culturally they’re laid back, easy going demeanor is something I admire.
If you know a Guy who knows a Guy you can Get Anything: Need a cord for your computer? Car part? Vegetables? A better deal on your car insurance for the year? To change some currency? Passport photos? All ya gotta do is know a guy who knows a guy. All it takes is a phone call and voile! You got it. Be sure to take into account the “concept of time” factor, instant gratification is rare but “the guy” will make it happen. Complete and Utter Chaos: I am convinced that if I were to create a “Grand Theft Auto Niamey” I would be a billionaire. You get extra points for goats. You have a choice when you drive in Niamey. You can take days off your life with high blood pressure or you can giggle to yourself about the utter ridiculousness of what you are encountering. I (almost always) choose the latter. A few examples, two men on a motorbike, with a goat and a sheep. A man riding a bicycle with a mattress on his head. A car or van piled high about the equivalent of a story high building with people and/or stuff. A herd of cattle, including ginormous bulls that would be chained up or at least be wearing a bell in other countries, A cart being pulled with large containers that are either gas, or water. Now take any one of these and put it into the middle of a roundabout where “the right of way” does not exist. Even better in the middle of a busy intersection while the power is out so there are no working traffic lights and it’s a free for all. Every driver believes they are the most important and need to be first so cutting someone off or driving around people in the wrong lane is just normal. In Reality, driving in Niamey is actually rather tame in comparison to other large West African cities that are more developed and populated. It’s the dudes with the mattresses and the goat traffic that make it so chaotic. It’s no secret that I love a little chaos so for me running errands is often just a form of entertainment.
Learning What Patience Really Means: Nothing is easy here. Seriously, nothing. Convenience is just not a “thing,” at least for foreigners. You might know the guy that knows the guy and be fine with dealing with the chaos of driving to meet him, but it’s never going to be convenient or simple. When I travel to Europe now I am a perplexed at first when things are convenient again. It’s just the way it is and I no longer take modern conveniences for granted. I want to give you an example here but it’s literally just everything you do. Going out to buy groceries is an ordeal. Going to put credit on your internet at 11 am and they are closed, they say they are going to reopen at 3 but when you go back at 4, they are closed. As you read this you might be asking yourself why I see this as a good thing. It is the ultimate lesson in problem solving and patience. You learn to find ways around it. Make friends with the man who owns the internet store so you can give him a call and he will come down and recharge your internet for you. Be prepared that a “quick run to the store” is probably going to take 3 hours. When you have a recipe for something you want to make and it just doesn’t exist here, learn how to make it yourself. Adapt, learn, change and your definition of patience will be completely different.
The People: Niger is an amazing place in a “bad neighborhood.” Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, “Bad Guys,” Yea, they’re here. I’m not talking about them. Bear in mind that the same rule applies in all countries: there are jerks and crazies everywhere, that’s just the world we live in. I am talking about day to day interactions with regular Nigeriens. The people here have hearts like I have never known. Once you earn respect and friendship with a Nigerien your problems are their problems. Your pain is their pain. They will literally give you the shirt off their back because they don’t need “things.” When you live in a place where people struggle for basic human needs such as food, water, and shelter that stuff doesn’t matter the way it does in the developed world. As outsiders we too often look at people in rural villages or poor countries and impose our own ideas about what we think they need. Or think to ourselves, “How sad, look at them that have nothing they must be so miserable.” Take a closer look and you will often see they don’t want us to build them toilets. I use this example because I recently learned that when toilets were built in a village the people didn’t use them and the well intentioned idea of eliminating raw sewage in the ground water was not solved, thus wasting resources and funding that could have been put to better use with taking the time to gain insight to what the people actually want. Basic necessities come first, always. I am not saying that people are perfectly happy when they have no clean water, are malnourished and dying of famine. My point is that less is often more and what people hold in their hearts, minds and souls is far more valuable than any “thing.” You name any NGO and they are here in Niger. The work they do is invaluable but if your intention is to come into a community and help them, take the time to ask them what they need before you decide for them. Remember that children are just as happy whacking things with sticks as they are playing on an ipad and mothers love their children the same bare naked playing in the dirt as they do at the park in a suburb playing on the swings. The saying “less is more” holds a new meaning to me I could never have imagined and I have the people of Niger to thank for that.
Well said & very insightful baby!
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